Life and More

Sometimes I don't have awesome titles, just things on my mind to write. Which of course have now all escaped me. But I did want to share something I've been doing a lot of reading on, Team Hoyt. Have you ever heard of them? They are the father and son team, consisting of Dick and Rick Hoyt. Here is some of their story:

"Rick was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt. As a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick's brain at the time of his birth, Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Dick and Judy were advised to institutionalize Rick because there was no chance of him recovering, and little hope for Rick to live a "normal" life. This was just the beginning of Dick and Judy's quest for Rick's inclusion in community, sports, education and one day, the workplace.

Dick and Judy soon realized that though Rick couldn't walk or speak; he was quite astute and his eyes would follow them around the room. They fought to integrate Rick into the public school system, pushing administrators to see beyond Rick's physical limitations. Dick and Judy would take Rick sledding and swimming, and even taught him the alphabet and basic words, like any other child.

With $5,000 in 1972 and a skilled group of engineers at Tufts University, an interactive computer was built for Rick. This computer consisted of a cursor being used to highlight every letter of the alphabet. Once the letter Rick wanted was highlighted, he was able to select it by just a simple tap with his head against a head piece attached to his wheelchair. When the computer was originally first brought home, Rick surprised everyone with his first words. Instead of saying, "Hi, Mom," or "Hi, Dad," Rick's first "spoken" words were: "Go, Bruins!" The Boston Bruins were in the Stanley Cup finals that season. It was clear from that moment on, that Rick loved sports and followed the game just like anyone else.

In 1975, at the age of 13, Rick was finally admitted into public school. After high school, Rick attended Boston University, and he graduated with a degree in Special Education in 1993. Dick retired in 1995 as a Lt. Colonel from the Air National Guard, after serving his country for 37 years.

In the spring of 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped.""















Anyway, this first race turned into many races that they have done together including marathons, triathlons, and 6 ironmans. For anyone who doesn't know, an Ironman Competition is a triathlon event which consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and running a full marathon of 26.2 miles. You are not allowed to take a break, and you have 17 hours to finish. Crazy huh? Anyway, Dick Hoyt pulled his son in a raft, put him on the front of his bike, and ran with him pushing him in a wheelchair. I'm sure they motivated each other to finish. Their motto is "Yes you can!" Here is a video about them which I love. The music is not my favorite, but I love the ironman footage. PLEASE watch it if you have a couple of minutes, you will not regret it!








I don't really have words to follow that. I just hope they are as inspiring to you as they are to me. And if you're like me, you may want to grab a tissue.